[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67557-67558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19754]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OECA-2006-0448; FRL-8245-7]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for 
Review and Approval; Comment Request; NSPS for Steel Plants: Electric 
Arc Furnaces and Argon-Oxygen Decarburization Vessels (Renewal) ICR 
Number 1060.14, OMB Number 2060-0038

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection 
Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing 
approved collection. The ICR which is abstracted below describes the 
nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost.

DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before December 22, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OECA-2006-0448, to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our 
preferred method), or by e-mail to [email protected], or by mail to: 
EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Environmental Protection Agency, 
Enforcement and Compliance Docket and Information Center, mail code 
2201T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB 
at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Malave, Compliance Assessment 
and Media Programs Division (Mail Code 2223A), Office of Compliance, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-7027; fax number: 
(202) 564-0050; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB 
for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 
1320.12. On June 21, 2006 (71 FR 35652), EPA sought comments on this 
ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. Any 
additional comments on this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB 
within 30 days of this notice.
    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under docket ID 
number EPA-HQ-OECA-2006-0448, which is available for public viewing 
online at http://www/regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the 
Enforcement and Compliance Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), 
EPA West, Room B 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. 
The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the 
telephone number for the Enforcement and Compliance Docket is (202) 
566-1927.
    Use EPA's electronic docket and comment system at http://www.regulations.gov, to submit or view public comments, access the 
index listing of the contents of the docket, and to access those 
documents in the docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``docket search,'' then key in the docket ID number 
identified above. Please note that EPA's policy is that public 
comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov, as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the comment contains 
copyrighted material, Confidential Business Information (CBI), or other 
information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. For 
further information about the electronic docket, go to 
www.regulations.gov.

[[Page 67558]]

    Title: NSPS for Steel Plants: Electric Arc Furnaces and Argon-
Oxygen Decarburization Vessels (Renewal).
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR Number 1060.14, OMB Control Number 2060-0038.
    ICR Status: This ICR is scheduled to expire on November 30, 2006. 
Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor 
the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. 
An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations 
in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register when 
approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, and displayed either by 
publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate means, such 
as on the related collection instrument or form, if applicable. The 
display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA regulations is 
consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: The New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for electric 
arc furnaces were proposed on October 21, 1974 (39 FR 37466) and 
promulgated on September 23, 1975 (40 FR 43850). These standards apply 
to the following affected facilities in steel plants that produce 
carbon, alloy, or specialty steels: Electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and 
dust handling systems commencing construction, modification or 
reconstruction after the date of proposal and on or before August 17, 
1983. A review of 40 CFR part 60, subpart AA in 1980 resulted in the 
promulgation of a new standard (NSPS 40 CFR part 60, subpart AAa). The 
review of NSPS subpart AA found that fugitive emissions capture 
technology had improved since promulgation of NSPS subpart AA, and that 
argon-oxygen decarburization (AOD) vessels are a significant source of 
particulates in specialty steel shops. NSPS, subpart AAa was proposed 
on August 17, 1983 and promulgated on October 31, 1984. The new 
standard established new standards applicable to EAFs, AOD vessels, and 
dust handling systems constructed, modified, or reconstructed after 
August 17, 1983. On March 2, 1999, the Agency promulgated a direct 
final rule to amend subparts AA and AAa in response to a petition made 
by the Common Sense Initiative Council, established under a charter 
approved pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which 
approved daily visible emissions observations as an alternative to 
static pressure monitoring at an EAF with a direct shell evacuation 
system, and clarified some definitions.
    In general, all NSPS standards require initial notifications, 
performance tests, and periodic reports. Owners or operators are also 
required to maintain records of the occurrence and duration of any 
startup, shutdown, or malfunction in the operation of an affected 
facility, or any period during which the monitoring system is 
inoperative. These notifications, reports, and records are essential in 
determining compliance, and are required of all sources subject to 
NSPS. Any owner or operator subject to the provisions of this part 
shall maintain a file of these measurements, and retain the file for at 
least two years following the date of such measurements, maintenance 
reports, and records.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR chapter 15, and are 
identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable.
    Burden Statement: The annual public reporting and recordkeeping 
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 308 
hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This 
includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, 
install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of 
collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and 
maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; 
adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable 
instructions and requirements which have subsequently changed; train 
personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search 
data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and 
transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: plants with electric arc furnaces, 
AOD vessels, and dust handling systems that produce carbon, alloy, or 
specialty steels.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 97.
    Frequency of Response: Initially and semiannually.
    Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 60,112 hours (rounded).
    Estimated Total Cost: $5,286,222, which includes $4,140 annualized 
capital startup costs, $194,250 annual Operating and Maintenance (O&M) 
costs, and $5,087,832 annual labor cost.
    Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 288 hours from the 
most recently approved ICR due primarily to a change made in the number 
of operational days from 365 to 350 which offsets any increase that 
resulted from the increase on the number of average respondents per 
year from 95.3 to 96.6. The labor hours for management, clerical, as 
well as for technical employees have been updated.
    The decrease in the annualized capital/startup and operation and 
maintenance costs from $285,750 to $198,390 is due to a decrease on the 
number of respondents using continuous opacity monitors (COMs) for 
compliance with the stack emissions requirements. This is an update to 
the most recently approved ICR (i.e., ICR 1060.13) which did not 
account for this type of burden change as a result of the 2005 
amendments to the standard. The operation and maintenance costs for the 
renewal of this ICR decreased due to a decrease in the number of 
sources using COMs as a result of electing to comply with the 
alternative option of daily opacity shop observations by a certified 
visible emission observer couple with the use of bag leak detection 
systems (BLDS).

    Dated: November 15, 2006.
Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies Division.
 [FR Doc. E6-19754 Filed 11-21-06; 8:45 am]
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